https://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/general-q-and-a/78535-time-texas.

html

Michael Wolf
Join Date
Apr 2010
Posts
7,867
Member

Originally Posted by Intricate35

Michael,

Thank you for your detailed response. I will try to clarify a couple things.

I am not currently sticking though feel as that is coming very soon. This would be
my first squat reset. As for my comment. My confusion is exactly yours. I am "built
to squat" yet my deadlift far out performs my squat and shows no sign of slowing
down (I still add 10 lbs every time I do them), yet my squat is stalling. I have had
my form checked and it is fine by all responses in the community. I can post a link
if you want to see it.

It sounds like you are leaning towards a squat reset and stay LP. When I reset, do
I keep the light day? Keep the longer rest period after light days (2 days in instead
of 1). Also, do I go back to 3x5 sets across or keep the single top set, and then
two back offs?

Regarding the "old man Texas." Is that what you would suggest when I transition
out (probably next time I feel a stall on squat coming on)? As I understand it I
should reduce Monday to 4x5 (since I'm 35 with moderate recovery), and raise
Wednesday to a 10% (instead of 20%) offset of Monday for 2x5 or 3x5 to
reallocate some of that Monday volume to Wednesday.
1. If you've never done a re-set before, do a bigger re-set but also a bigger ramp-up. So if
you stall at, say, 335, instead of just going down 8-10% to 305, go down to like 255 for the
next workout, but ramp back up in big jumps so it doesn't take you long. This way you
dissipate the fatigue but don't spend an inordinate amount of time getting back to where
you were, and beyond.
W1: 255, 275, 295
W2: 310, 275, 325
W3: 335, 255-275, 340
W4: 345, 255-275, 350
Etc...

1a. Yes, if you can do so, keep the other Advanced Novice-extending tricks you've been
doing. You can also do your back-off squat sets at 90-92% instead of 95%. It can make a
difference to nab a few extra 5 lb jumps, without reducing volume to do so.

2. For squat, yes, something like an old man TM. I actually think something closer to this is
a good general template for transitioning from LP to Intermediate, and so calling it "Old Man
TM" is misleading. Though I take it in a slightly different direction in some respects, so what
I'm telling you isn't really exactly the same as Old Man TM. Let's call it...drumroll
please...The Wolf Method. Seems like a wonderful name, doesn't it???

Anyway:
Monday: 3x5, starting at 85-88% of where your 5RM was when you finished your LP. Add 5
lbs every week, hold the weight steady if it gets brutal too quickly.
Weds: 3x5 starting at 10-12% less than Monday. Add 5 lbs per week.
Fri: TM-style Intensity Day, except skip the 5RMs and go right to two triples. Do triples for 2
weeks, then 3 doubles for 3-4 weeks, then 5 singles across for 2-3 weeks.

At this point you're about 2 months in. The next week, drop a set off Monday and
Wednesday, and reduce the intensity by 10%, and Friday do 3 ascending heavy singles
working up to a new 1RM. The following week, Monday and Wednesday's intensity drops
another 10% and Friday work up to another new 1RM. You're not totally and truly "peaked"
but close enough to get a rough estimated 1RM for this point in your training career.

Then take a light week (and then a ramp-up week if needed) and run it all again for
another 8-10 weeks with your new numbers.

Now you're about 6 months post NLP, and having done two cycles like that, you'll:
a: have adapted to more weekly volume/tonnage.
b. actually have a decently close idea of your 1RM without having sacrificed a bunch of
training time to "peak," which you can now use to plan longer cycle programs based on %s,
appropriate for a mid-intermediate, modified by RPE if you so choose.
c. be stronger

Go forth and conquer (not so) young padawan.

Just a couple of final questions Jedi lift master.

1. Looks like the "light" day is dropped while ramping back up after the reset right?

2. How can/Should I program in more Deadlift volume into "The Wolf?" 1x5 once a
week just looks to little for me (but what do I really know).

3. Keep upper body lifts standard Texas right?

1. Light day is only dropped the first week of re-ramp, because the whole week is still light.
The light day is there in week 2. You may be thinking "well, it's a higher % than 80% of
Monday! Is that a light day?" Ya, because you're still using relatively light weights even on
your "heavy" days of week 2, so we're still using approx 80% of your actual 5RM of 335
there. But feel free to go a bit lighter if you want. After that, the middle light day should be
70-80% of what you did the previous heavy day, as it usually is.

2 & 3. Ah, you astutely observe that I only gave you the squat part of the WM.
DL: Start with 2 sets of 5 on Monday at ~80-85% of where your 5RM on LP ended. You can
add 5 lbs per week, or add 5 lbs per week to one set and do the other set at 5-10% less
than that. Friday you can run an "Intensity Day" type set-up, similar to the way you run out
squats.
PR: Nope. But I can't give the whole damn thing away for free in a forum post, can I?!?!?!